A sharp rise in thefts in the capital prompted Luxembourg City and police to use Wednesday’s City Breakfast to announce anti-pickpocketing warning markings at tram stops after the Pentecost school break.
The campaign, developed with the Grand Ducal Police and Luxtram, will target the moments when passengers are waiting, distracted or pressed together while boarding and leaving crowded vehicles.
‘An organised phenomenon’
Polfer said the municipality and police wanted to make residents and visitors more alert before a theft occurs. “We are simply trying, with this action together, to make people aware that this is unfortunately a phenomenon that exists — an organised phenomenon,” she said.
“The police are there when something has already happened, to record it. But we would much rather make sure beforehand that it happens less often,” she added.
The mayor said Luxembourg City recorded 7,704 simple thefts in 2025, up from 6,095 in 2024. Thefts with violence increased from 340 to 434 over the same period, bringing the combined total for those two categories to 8,138 last year, compared with 6,435 in 2024.
Polfer said the figures justified a stronger prevention effort around crowded public spaces, including trams, buses, streets and terraces.
From trams to platforms
Police said they had already worked on pickpocketing through prevention stands, flyers, visible patrols, checks on public transport, announcements and screen messages inside trams.
The new phase is intended to reach people before they board. A police representative said the force did “not only want to stay inside the tram” but also wanted to be “in front of the tram”, on platforms where people may be looking at their phones while waiting.
Steve Goedert, head of the capital region’s police crime prevention and road safety department, said tram stops were being treated as a particular risk point because passengers are close together when entering and leaving vehicles. “At every exit and entrance to the tram, we will display this on the ground, because that is the moment and the place where most thefts happen — when people get in or get out, because there is body contact,” he said.
Crowds and events
Goedert said the campaign followed a broader prevention logic already used at markets and large gatherings, where police have spoken to people who left bags open or valuables exposed. “People want to enjoy themselves, and they do not want to go home in the evening without their wallet because it was stolen,” he said.
He also pointed to the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg as an immediate example of the kind of crowd in which people should be careful. “Many people will be out, and they really need once again to watch their valuables, so that it remains a pleasant evening,” he said.
Polfer linked the issue to the capital’s wider attractiveness. “This is the less pleasant side of a city that has enormous attractiveness,” she said. “All of that brings many people, and of course we are pleased about that. But it also creates opportunities for others who have less good things in mind.”
The campaign will initially use visual warnings on the ground, with the final format still subject to adjustment before launch.
Also mentioned
The city also presented a mobile version of its Telealarm service for older residents. The watch-like device allows users to call for help outside the home, with location data transmitted subject to network coverage.
Elisabete Moreira, head of Service SOS Seniors, said: “The great advantage is that you do not need a phone to ask for help. You only have to press.” The service costs €60 per month and is assessed through a home visit by the city’s social services.
The city also outlined upcoming events, including the 100th anniversary of Luxembourg City buses on 6 June, Gare Grooves from 11 June to 30 July and the main summer calendar. Maurice Bauer, deputy mayor of Luxembourg City, said Gare Grooves would return in a revised format to bring “life to the streets of the Gare district”.
Officials also mentioned a planned pop-up cinema in the Gare district, warned residents to avoid oak processionary caterpillars and reminded them of a public meeting on the Asian hornet on 3 June at 6.30pm at the cultural centre in Cessange.
